Roubo’s Folding Bookstand

Translating André Roubo’s instructions from the 18th-century French is a delight, for he speaks to you as if he’s just stopped by your bench. The level of detail assures you that this is something he has done himself, and the money-saving tips remind you of his early days as a poor apprentice. Even the way he often leaves out the first thing you should know until the very last gives you the sense of a mind overflowing with knowledge.

This little bookstand from plate No. 331 of “L’Art du Menuisier” will give you a quick dip into the torrent of his genius. It’s a modest but appropriate introduction to the man, because books truly bookended his life story – as we’ll see when we first walk a few miles in the boots of Monsieur Roubo.